Kverneland will preview its Ecomat on-land shallow plough in the UK this autumn ahead of its launch in 2023.
Developed as an option for minimum disturbance seedbed preparation, the Ecomat provides mechanical control of pests and weeds through soil inversion, reducing the reliance on chemical methods.
“Ecomat is a half-way house between a plough and a cultivator,” Kverneland product specialist Adam Burt said. “As a shallow plough, the Ecomat still turns soil over, but without needing to work as deep as a traditional plough.
“This means it’s much easier to pull, and it does a far better job of inversion than a cultivator.”
This latest version of the Ecomat enables high-efficiency shallow ploughing, at working depths ranging from 6.0cm to 18cm. As a result, output is much higher than conventional soil inversion methods, while fuel consumption per acre, is also reduced.
As an on-land plough comprising 10 furrows, the Ecomat is equipped with short, high-speed bodies of either steel or plastic construction. By working on-land, compaction can be limited by the use of tractors with much wider tyres operating at lower pressures than those typically used in-furrow.
Furrow widths are mechanically adjusted from 30cm to 50cm creating a range of working widths from 3.0m to 5.0m, while its 65cm point-to-point clearance contributes to a compact overall size for a 10-furrow fully mounted implement.
Plough length though, is safely managed during transport thanks to Kverneland’s innovative Trailer Transport System. The headstock design, found on many other Kverneland plough models, enables the Ecomat to be towed like a trailer.
